HEY PARENTS! ARE YOU STRESSED OUT AND MAXED OUT!?!?

To all of you moms and dads out there, let me first start off by saying you are doing great! Just because I am a Life Coach does not mean that my life is perfect. Just last week I had my own freak out moment. Btw – freak outs are ok. They guide us to the realization that we are not taking enough care of ourselves.

I am a wife, a mother of a two-year-old and I work full-time – not to mention the other extra curricular activities I am involved in. Right when I think I have my schedule all figured out, whoooooosh … My daughter is welcomed by a new tooth. With that comes a diaper rash. Let’s just say mixed in with her spicy two year old voice last week was a rough one. I felt tired; I felt like I was running on empty. My daughter wasn’t feeling well and wanted her mom and nobody else. She has been going to daycare for about a year now, and just last week she had a couple of meltdowns when I dropped her off. Moms and dads, you know what I’m talking about, right!? It’s never easy leaving your child, let alone when they are not feeling well, and are holding on to you for dear life! When we get home from a long day, we are challenged with questions, a number of “no’s,” or if you are in a position similar to me, everything is MINE! MINE! MINE!!! On top of that,one of my daughter’s teachers at school mentioned that she had trouble following directions one day. So let me just say that I found myself asking the questions: “Am I a bad parent?” “What am I doing wrong?” “Am I spoiling her?”

It is very easy to go down the dark spiral when life seems unbalanced. We become victims in life. Maybe to get away from the stress we turn to our soft addictions of Facebook, binge eating, drinking a bottle of wine, or perhaps binge watching an entire season of Stranger Things on Netflix. Just sayin’! We focus on all that’s going wrong in that moment and in life. Maybe we start picking a fight on our spouse, or we find ourselves just hating life altogether in that particular moment. You just “Can’t catch a break!”

So how do you pull yourself out of the rut? What I have found helpful is when I put extra effort into focusing on all of the good nuggets in my life, I slowly start to shift. I mean do we really have it THAT bad? I am healthy, I have a beautiful family, I have amazing friends who I can pick up the phone and call.

So let’s revisit the start of this blog. What were some of my good nuggets in there? “Wow, last week I had a lot going on, and I worked through some challenges.” My daughter had a rough couple of days, and she wanted me because it made her feel safe. “Wow, how cool – My daughter is finding her voice. She knows what she wants and she does not want!” “My daughter was not focusing at school, due to her lack of sleep. She must have been moody. I know how I feel when I do not get enough sleep!” “I am so grateful for my friends in my life. I scheduled a dinner date with one and put together a wonderful holiday brunch with some fabulous women in my life!” “I am grateful that my husband has stepped it up and is listening to more of my needs and wants around the house and with baby.” Just by me typing this out, I am feeling better.

As we are just days before the holidays, purchasing last minute gifts, juggling family and friends and tying up loose ends for 2017. Remember you are not alone. Think of those good nuggets to help get you through the day.

Want more tips on how to stay balanced and focused in the New Year? Join me at the 2nd Annual Integrative Lifestyle Forum on Saturday, January 6th, 2018, at the Radisson Hotel located in Downtown Davenport. I will be hosting along with my Mandala Integrative Medicine team and with a number of Integrative lifestyle professionals located in the Quad Cities area. Learn how to take control of your own health and get more results in your life!